Apron Thrift Girl

Make Share - Handcrafted Camera Strap

Handcrafted Camera Strap

If I lived in an ideal organized life, this handcrafted camera strap would have been with me when I went to the Blogher Conference. Instead my friend Holly, the talented woman behind the Sono-Ma website, and I got together for our Altered Craft Party on Columbus Day.

I've been without a strap since the day my Nikon D60 arrived in the mail from Amazon. Okay so this sounds silly but I couldn't quickly figure out how to get the strap on, found the big yellow letters on the strap somewhat unattractive and so I stuck it in a drawer for the next few years. (including a move from Washington to California)

When I went on the Media Tour through the new Whole Foods Market in Santa Rosa I realized quickly that I didn't have enough hands. I was awkwardly juggling camera, notebook, pen and food samples. I can't imagine how professional that looked. Two days later at the grand opening I spied a young woman who looked like a journalist, posed and who knew what she was doing. She had a camera strap and could balance everything including her mega lens and coffee. I knew I had to get a strap.

Back side of Camera Strap with Cotton Fleece

I found a camera strap tutorial from Michelle My Belle that interested me immediately. It was fun, whimsical and very much me. Plus it looked rather simple which is what I require in a craft project.

Kitschy fabric squares

The main use of my camera outside of the house is most likely going to be for my food blog Flavorstitch so that was my inspiration for the colors and design. It feels a bit like betrayal to admit this but at the moment I'm so into teal. I swore in the 90's that I would leave the memories of teal behind from the 80's but somehow years later it was reappeared and I'm drawn to it more than ever. Remember teal mascara?

I found some kitschy fabric in my collection. Rather than use circles like Michelle My Belle has done, I cut out squares from the fabric and sewed around them at the edges.

It was an easy pattern to follow and quick from start to finish. And note to self, don't put the handcrafted camera strap on the camera before you take your photos. I tried to do a nice little photo with it around my neck like Michelle did but it wasn't very pretty.

Did you make something this week to share?

Make Share is very similar to Thrift Share where I begin a post with sharing something that I made and you all get to finish the post by linking up and sharing what you have made. There's a few guidelines -

• at least one item used in your project should to be 2nd hand.
• Link your Make Share post back to ATG.
• Post a Make Share item that you made on your blog or website.
• Link to your individual post on the item that you made using inlinkz below.
• If you participate with Make Share regularly, I'd love it if you'd add this button to your side bar

Make Share

Adding a new twist to Apron Thrift Girl, I want to introduce you to Make Share. It's very similar to Thrift Share where I begin a post with sharing something that I made and you all get to finish the post by linking up and sharing what you have made. There's a few guidelines -

• at least one item used in your project should to be 2nd hand.
• Link your Make Share post back to ATG.
• Post a Make Share item that you made on your blog or website.
• Link to your individual post on the item that you made using inlinkz below.
• If you participate with Make Share regularly, I'd love it if you'd add this button to your side bar

Here is my first Make Share project. I first found some supplies in my craft cabinet: thrifted ceramic tiles, vintage anagram letters, thrifted magnetic tape and glue. Here is what I made~

I found this bowl of tiles at a yard sale waiting to be recycled and used. I paid $1 for all of them.

I purchased some anagram letters at a thrift store after I saw this post on anagrams. They are paper instead of wood but were perfect for this project.

I chose my tiles and gave them a good washing. Because they are used they do have flaws but I thought it added some personality.

I picked out the letters for the words that I wanted to spell.

I trimmed the letters and glued down a single letter on each tile.

I let them dry for around 10 minutes.

Normally the adhesive magnetic tape would have fastened smoothly but because the tiles are recycled, the back of the tiles were uneven. I decided to use Gorilla Super Glue to properly secure the magnet to the tile.

You could glue sections of photos so that they are like a puzzle on your fridge. I am planning to make both photo and letter tiles to give as gifts this holiday season. I am going to try to make as many gifts as I can with recycled supplies.

What did you make?